Brittle diabetes?
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judyvalentine512
Posts: 927 Member
I heard this phrase used a few times by a paramedic as well as other diabetics. Apparently, it's when you have diabetes caused by trauma to your pancreas. It's also been called Type 3C diabetes.
The treatment is the same as type 1.
I take insulin, but not a lot because my pancreas is still making a little, but my body doesn't use it efficiently.
My doctor lowered my mealtime insulin dose because I was getting lows. Even though my A1C was 5.6% last test. My doctor doesn't want my A1C to be that low, which is kinda disappointing. That's why she lowered my dose.
But, since she's lowered it, my finger prick tests are showing higher than I like. And according to my metre, my A1C would be 7.6%.
I get mixed messages from my doctor, I must admit. Of course I will bring this up to her next visit.
I think she said she would like to see my A1C around 7% to avoid lows.
Has anyone else ever had this experience?
The treatment is the same as type 1.
I take insulin, but not a lot because my pancreas is still making a little, but my body doesn't use it efficiently.
My doctor lowered my mealtime insulin dose because I was getting lows. Even though my A1C was 5.6% last test. My doctor doesn't want my A1C to be that low, which is kinda disappointing. That's why she lowered my dose.
But, since she's lowered it, my finger prick tests are showing higher than I like. And according to my metre, my A1C would be 7.6%.
I get mixed messages from my doctor, I must admit. Of course I will bring this up to her next visit.
I think she said she would like to see my A1C around 7% to avoid lows.
Has anyone else ever had this experience?
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No, cannot say I have. Do you see a endocrinologist aka a diabetes specialist, among other things they treat? I really think that for diabetes that we are better off with Endocrinologists than any type of regular Dr. being the lead Dr. in our treatment.
Are you checking your blood before take the insulin and have a sliding scale of how much to take? I ask because I have been taking less and less of Humalog as I have been losing weight. But I have a sliding scale of how much I take based on what my before dinner blood result shows.
I could be off base, I am a Type 2 diabetic. But in my years having it, and also knowing people that are type 1 diabetics I have always heard of brittle diabetics being type 1. And it was for those people that have major blood glucose swings meaning can go from very high well above in the 200's or higher and then turn around and go well below 60 very quickly. And can lead to hospitalization to try and get it more stable.
And there is still lots of ongoing discussion about exactly what is or is not the so called Type 3.0 -
I have known one "brittle" diabetic, and she had wild peaks and valleys in the glucose readings. It was as if her body overreacted to everything - carbs, insulin, exercise, etc. That is the extent of my knowledge about it, and this "knowledge" is based on a sample of one and no research.0
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I have heard the same thing, but I was never told about 'brittle diabetics' only the Type 3Cmaureenkhilde wrote: »No, cannot say I have. Do you see a endocrinologist aka a diabetes specialist, among other things they treat? I really think that for diabetes that we are better off with Endocrinologists than any type of regular Dr. being the lead Dr. in our treatment.
Are you checking your blood before take the insulin and have a sliding scale of how much to take? I ask because I have been taking less and less of Humalog as I have been losing weight. But I have a sliding scale of how much I take based on what my before dinner blood result shows.
I could be off base, I am a Type 2 diabetic. But in my years having it, and also knowing people that are type 1 diabetics I have always heard of brittle diabetics being type 1. And it was for those people that have major blood glucose swings meaning can go from very high well above in the 200's or higher and then turn around and go well below 60 very quickly. And can lead to hospitalization to try and get it more stable.
And there is still lots of ongoing discussion about exactly what is or is not the so called Type 3.
Originally, I was seen by an endocrinologist. He was the one (years ago now) that my diabetes is considered Type3C because it was caused by trauma to my pancreas. He said they should have been treating me as a Type 1 right from the start. But, he never changed my treatment. At the time, I was pretty stable, so he said he didn't need to see me anymore, and that my GP could handle my treatment now. I will be talking more to her about this when I see her in March.
My endocrinologist did say I can make an appointment to see him anytime I think I need to. But, honestly, he never did that much anyway. He would look at my log book, and tell me I was doing a good job.
I gauge my insulin based on my finger prick reading and how many carbs are in the meal I am about to take. I take Apidra at mealtime and Toujeo before bed.
I am going back to my original dosage and of course will tell my doctor about it when next I see her.
Thanks for your input.
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Brittle is slang. It describes someone who is extremely insulin resistant. You use a butt load of insulin with little results.
I haven't heard "britttle" in many years.2 -
For some people…. Not everyone.Bad old days: a "brittle diabetic" WAS any insulin using diabetic patient that had to go to the ED a lot. I'd refer those patients to an endocrinologist.
Good new days: a "brittle diabetic" IS any T2D patient OF MINE that cannot meet OUR goals using NO meds and NO OTC tricks either (ACV, cinnamon, berberine etc).
I consider myself a "brittle diabetic" because I STILL need to solve my insomnia problem. I sleep about 6 hr per night. I need to get to 8 hr. It's the LAST most difficult piece of MY T2D puzzle.
T2D can be REVERSED using NO meds or tricks. I reversed my own 16 year history of it while my own physicians in two countries watched in disbelief at first and now in awe.
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